Trouble in Paradise
by See Jane Write
Summary: After Jim's suspicions that Alex's fiancé is abusing her are confirmed, he helps her press charges against him. Crossover with Conviction. Rating for language and I guess subject matter.
1. Chapter 1

Trouble in Paradise

Summary: After Jim's suspicions that Alex's fiancé is abusing her are confirmed, he helps her press charges against him. Crossover with Conviction.

Spoilers: Last new Conviction episode (airing 3/31--sorry, NBC freezes my computer, so I can't find the title). SVU- "Fault" (the very basic Olivia thing...They said it in TV Guide and probably a million sites online. But if you don't know, I don't know. There's a one line mention of it.)

Author's Note: Yes, I am with everyone on the "where the hell did THAT come from?" attitude towards Robert. And I don't know. From the way he was acting and his age, I just don't trust him. He's evil.

* * *

Jim Steele grumbled as he saw the message on his desk. He had just gotten out of court for the morning. His case was already shaky from the beginning, but now the defense attorney managed to discredit one of his star witnesses. "Great," he muttered as he placed the paper containing the message back on his desk. Alex Cabot wanted to see him. He did not know why, but he knew that he did not want to see her. Ever since she had told him that she was engaged, he was trying to avoid her at all costs. 

If this was about this case, he did not want to hear it. He did not want to hear anything about any case. He might not have been an ADA for as long as she had, but he has been one throughout her time in Witness Protection. He knew what he was doing. She was still getting used to being back in the D.A.'s office. She had only been there for a few months.

He approached her office and found the door open ajar. He knocked softly. No response. He knocked a little harder, but there was still no answer. He finally decided to push the door open. Once he did, he walked over to her desk.

Alex was asleep. That was obvious. She had a couple of law books on her desk. Her arms were on top of them, and the combination served as a makeshift pillow. Her face was turned towards her fridge. Her glasses were in front of her on the desk.

Jim was about to either yell at her until she awoke or just storm out of there. Her behavior was too unprofessional. Before he had the chance, something caught his eye. Something that was not good. Several small red marks went down in a line on her pale face. From their location and size, he immediately knew that they were not just indentations made by her watch as a result of her shifting positions in her sleep. No, this was different. They were burn marks. He instantly felt bad for wanting to yell at her.

He knelt down beside her chair and started rubbing her back gently. "Al," he whispered in a soothing tone. "Al, come on."

Alex's eyes fluttered open as she picked her head up. She stretched her arms in front of her and gasped in shock when she saw Jim. Had she made another stupid mistake? She pushed her chair backwards away from her co-worker. "Jim, what are you doing here?" she asked in a lame attempt at regaining her composure.

Jim shook his head as he stood up. He walked to the side of her office and grabbed a chair. He then pulled himself closer to her chair and sat down in the chair. "I think I'll ask the questions," he stated. "Alex, what happened to you?"

Alex's face flushed wit embarrassment. "Jim, I told you that we cannot be together. I honestly don't know how I can make that more clear."

"This isn't about that," Jim stated. His tone was not bitter. Alex knew that he was serious. "What happened to you?" he repeated his initial question. "Your face," he prompted. "I know you know what I'm talking about."

Alex nodded slowly. "Oh, I just burned myself while curling my hair," she lied.

"Bull," Jim argued. "Your hair's not even curled."

"Obviously," Alex said in a more frantic voice. "I mean, would you want to use a product after it just burned you?"

Jim raised an eyebrow at her. "So you're telling me that you burned yourself with a curling iron on your forehead, your nose, and your lip?" he asked. "That's your story?" He moved closer to her. "I'm not here to judge you," he promised. "You can tell me what really happened."

Alex shook her head slightly. She did not want to remember it. And of all people, she did not want to discuss it with Jim Steele.

* * *

_Earlier that morning _

_Alex was the first one to wake up that morning. She still did not feel any cramping. She was getting really scared now. It had been a little over four weeks since she had that one night of stupidity with Jim. With their crazy work schedules, she and Robert have not had sex between that night and now. Alex swallowed hard. She still had not gotten her period._

_She had to know now. She had been putting it off. After the fifth day, she had purchased a home pregnancy test. However, she had been too afraid to take it. What if it was positive? How was she supposed to deal with that? Jim and Robert did not exactly look alike. They were far from it. She could not pass off a Jim baby as Robert's._

_She had to know. It has been nearly two weeks now. She slowly got out of the bed. Robert was still sleeping. She tiptoed across the bedroom until she was in the bathroom. Her body was filled with fear as she reached for the box containing the test. She honestly did not know what she was going to do if it was positive. Morally, she was against abortion, but she did not know if her relationship with Robert would be able to survive this._

_As she took the test, she stared fearfully at the door. She had not locked it. She never had before. She and Robert were comfortable with leaving it unlocked. Right now, she had to hope that Robert would remain asleep. Once she was finished, she placed the test back on top of the box as she waited for the results to show._

_She had to get it out of her mind. There was nothing she could do about it now. Within a minute or two, she would have her answer. Until then, she should try to go through her routine as normally as she could. She had taken a nice hot bath the night before, so all she really had to do was curl her hair slightly. If she had to tell Robert, she wanted to look nice. He liked the waves in her hair. He said it gave her a bounce and made her seem more youthful._

_She took her curling iron and plugged it into the socket. She tried to focus on that heating up inside of the pregnancy test, but it was nearly impossible. This was too life-altering. Curling her hair was not. It would not effect anything other than her outward appearance. Having a baby would change everything._

_She walked over and picked up the test carefully between the thumb and forefinger of each hand. She held it so that it was even with her breasts in height. She glanced up at the ceiling. She could not actually look at it. Not yet. She was too scared._

_"Cut the crap," she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes tightly as she slowly lowered her head. When her head was positioned in a way that she could see the results, she opened her eyes._

_At the same time, Robert opened the door. He saw Alex standing there. She was still dressed in her red plaid pajama pants and a large T-shirt with a crab on it from her second identity in Witness Protection. She did not turn to greet him like she normally did. He doubted if she even knew he was there. He frowned as he saw her staring at something. It could not be good. "Alexandra," he stated._

_Alex gasped as she saw Robert standing in the doorway. She quickly put her hands and the test behind her back as she turned to face him. "Hi," she said in a rushed and slightly scared tone. Robert only called her by her full name when he was angry. "Sleep well?"_

_"Fine," he stated. "Now tell me what you're hiding," he said in the same serious voice as the one he used to say her name. Before she had a chance to respond, he saw the box on the counter. "Pregnancy test?" he questioned her. "Shit, Alexandra, what the hell is this?"_

_"Nothing," Alex quickly responded as she subconsciously took a few steps back. "It's nothing."_

_"It's not nothing!" he yelled. He then gasped. "Is it even mine?" he asked her angrily. "I can't remember the last time we were actually together! Is this why you work so late? Whose is it?" His nostrils were flaring, and his face was getting red. "Damn it, Alexandra, answer me!"_

_Alex swallowed hard. She had seen Robert angry before, but never like this. "I told you it's nothing," she repeated._

_Robert's face flared up in another fit of anger. Without even realizing what he was doing, he grabbed her curling iron by the handle. He yanked the cord out of the socket and threw the whole thing across the room. "You whore," he accused her._

_The force behind it was strong, and it hit Alex hard in the face. On contact, it burned the middle of her forehead. She let out a scream. As it fell to the ground, it hit her nose and lower lip. She could react before it would hit her feet. Her eyes welled with tears of pain as she dropped the pregnancy test to the floor. She knew she had to get out of there. She tried to rush past Robert, but he grabbed her wrist._

_"Where do you think you're going?" he asked her. "This is not nothing."_

_Alex tried hard to make out her next sentence without crying. "Look, it's negative, ok?" she informed him. "Can we please just forget about this whole thing?"_

_Robert shook his head. "No," he stated. "If my fiancée thinks she's pregnant, and I can't remember the last time we slept together, I think it warrants some discussion."_

_Tears rolled down Alex's face. The pain was only getting more intense. She could see where Robert was coming from, but she could not talk to him like that. "Discussion, yes. Throwing burning hot objects at me, no," she said in her best attempt at a calm voice. "Now please, let me go, or I will press charges."_

_He slapped her face. "Don't you ever tell me that again," he commanded her. He finally did let her go. She rushed out and grabbed some clothes. She quickly changed and then rushed out of their apartment. She had to get out of there. Anywhere else would be fine.

* * *

_

Alex was not even aware that she was crying again. She had not said a word to Jim. Just replaying it in her mind brought back her fear. She did not know what to do. She wanted to think that Robert was a good man. He was her fiancé. She just did not know what to think. She did not know what any of this meant. She wanted everything to be easier. It should be easier. Fall in love, get married, spend the rest of your lives together living happily ever after.

Jim noted Alex's tears. She was silently crying, but he could see that she was crying. Whatever happened was a lot bigger than she was trying to claim it was. She was no longer his strict about drug-related cases boss. She was not the woman he had slept with and still kind of wanted. She was a woman in need of a friend. Seeing as he was the only one there, the friend would have to be him. He pulled her into a comforting hug and let her head go to his shoulders. He felt her tears rolling onto his shirt. He started rubbing his hand in a small circular motion on her back. "It's ok, Alex," he said. "It's ok, I'm here."

Alex shook her head. "It's not ok," she whispered. "It's Robert," she whispered. "H-he did this."

Jim nodded as he kept rubbing her back. "Do you want me to call someone? Olivia Benson?" he offered. "I know you two are close."

Again, Alex shook her head. "No, don't," she begged. "She's still recovering. I don't want to bother her."

"Casey Novak?" Jim offered.

Alex shook her head. "No, she'll just want to press charges."

"And you don't?" Jim asked her. "Alex, I know you claim you love this man, but he's not good for you." Before Alex had a chance to protest, he continued. "I'm not saying that I am good for you, but we both know that Robert clearly is not."

The tears once again rolled down Alex's face. She knew that Jim was right. She just did not want to admit it. She did not want to admit that she was a victim. She had worked almost all her life speaking for the victims. Now she was one of them. She had to accept that. As Jim handed her a clean tissue from her desk, she pushed the phone towards him.

Jim took her hand as he picked up the phone. He dialed Casey's extension. After two rings, Casey answered. "Hey, Casey, it's Jim Steele calling on Alex's behalf." He looked down at Alex. "We're in her office," he said. "You might want to come down and see this for yourself."

* * *

((So, what do you think? I promise it's going to be more SVU from now on.))  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Casey's first reaction was one of confusion. What could possibly be going on that Alex would want to talk to her right now? Usually if it was about a case, Alex would either go directly to Casey's office or leave her a note to come up. If it was something about getting together with Olivia for drinks, it was usually said at the end of the day. And again, it would just be Alex stopping by Casey's office. Not a phone call.

Casey gasped. Was she getting promoted? She stopped herself before she gave her squeal of excitement. That could not be it either. If that was it, the phone call would have been a direct one. It would have been directly from Branch or Alex. But no. This one was from Jim on Alex's behalf.

Casey shrugged as she walked out of her office. She quickly rushed to Alex's. As she did, she had the vague notion that it was not a good thing. The door was closed all the way. She was supposed to be at Alex's office, wasn't she? She gave a small knock at the door.

Jim told her to come inside. Casey did. As soon as she was inside, she closed the door. If it was closed before, she had the feeling that it was done to protect Alex's privacy. She still did not know why. She turned to the two other ADAs in the room.

Alex was sitting at her desk. Her eyes were red from crying or trying not to cry. A couple of crumpled tissues were on her desk in front of her. Casey immediately recognized the look in her boss's eyes. It was the same look that all of the rape victims had - a look of helplessness mixed with confusion. Casey then noticed the burn marks on Alex's face. The one on her forehead looked especially bad. Casey winched slightly at the sight before she pulled up a chair at Alex's other side. "Whenever you're ready," she said soothingly.

Alex nodded, but the words did not seem to form in her mouth. She was still not ready to accept the reality of what was happening to her. She hated admitting that she was a victim. She hated it the entire time when she was in Witness Protection.

Casey said nothing. She just kept rubbing Alex's back gently. Jim looked at the two women. He figured that Casey had everything under control. Casey dealt with battered women every day. He did not want to generalize and place Alex into that category, but it was true. Casey had much more experience in dealing with women in Alex's situation. Jim did not want to get in the way. He mouthed a quick "Thank you" to Casey before he left Alex's office. He closed the door behind him.

Alex finally looked up at Casey. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully. "I don't think I could do this with any other ADA. I want you trying this case."

"Ok," Casey said as she took Alex's hand for support. She did not ask questions. She did not need to. The details she needed, she would receive. "I'll get you a guilty verdict."

Alex nodded. "I know you will, Casey," she said. She drew in a couple of breaths. Could she face this? She had to. She was going to have to face it eventually. She looked over at Casey. "It's my fiancé."

* * *

Robert Shelton. Casey knew she had heard that name before. As soon as she heard Alex's account of what happened, she rushed back to her office. She dug through her desk until she found the case file she wanted. The file belonging to Robert Shelton. As soon as she had it, she dialed the SVU to let them know she was on her way over.

"Hey, what's going on," Munch asked upon Casey's arrival. "You sounded pretty serious on the phone."

Casey nodded. "It is serious," she stated. "It's Alex's fiancé, Robert Shelton. He's abusing her, and I know he's not going to stop until she's dead."

"Come again," Munch said as he pulled Casey over to his desk. "Someone else is after Alex now?"

Casey sighed as she and Munch sat down. "I remembered his name when Alex told me what happened," she started. "Robert Shelton is this big Wall Street man. Lots of money. I got a couple of indictments against him back when I did white collar, but he and his lawyers always managed to make me look like an idiot."

"That's got to suck, but with all respect, how does this relate to Alex?"

"Shelton's been obsessed with money. It's like a family trait," Casey stated. "And although he is one of the richest men in the city if not the richest, he always feels that he needs more money. In order to get that, he dates the women from wealthy families."

"Alex," Munch muttered softly. He then frowned. "Wouldn't she have known about this little habit before she started dating him? And definitely before she agreed to spend the rest of her life with him?"

Casey shrugged. "That's the thing. It's hard to get an indictment on him for something like this. He works in weird ways. He's the nicest man when he first meets a woman. According to Alex, she was just blown away by how kind he was when they met. He remained kind and normal. They didn't need to eat at fancy places each night. Some days, a McDonalds meal or a slice of pizza would be perfect.

"Then the part that Alex doesn't know," Casey said as her tone changed. "During the early stages when he's being nice, Shelton's either doing it himself or he hired someone to see exactly how much money the family has, and how much of it goes to the woman he's dating. If it's enough, he'll propose. They'll make an agreement to give each other their inheritance if they should die. That's enough to turn Robert against them. He gets distant, cold, and then violent. In his greed for the money, he most likely ends up killing the girl."

"Alex doesn't know any of this?" Munch asked doubtfully. "You just described a pattern, implying that he's done this before. Wouldn't it be on his record?"

Casey shook her head. "No prosecutor has even gotten an indictment on this guy. He's too careful. He claims all the deaths were accidental. There were never any witnesses to the crime. His alibi is always rock solid, and there's no evidence to suggest murder. The jury always believes him. He's the devil."

Munch stood up. "What can we do about it?" he asked her seriously. This was not just any case. It was Alex. There was no time to be sarcastic and make jokes.

"Find out how much the Cabot family is worth," Casey said. "Exactly," she added. "I'm going back to meet Alex and see what she wants to do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Casey rushed back to the District Attorney's office as quickly as she could. After she had gone through security, she made her way back to Alex's office. She heard voices coming from it. The door was open this time. Brian Peluso was definitely in that office.

Casey appeared in the doorway, and she knocked slightly on the door. She did not know if Peluso even noticed anything about Alex. The two of them were just laughing as if nothing had happened. She needed a quick excuse to talk to Alex in private. "Are you busy?" she asked as she focused on Alex.

Casey's expression told Alex that this was serious. Serious and something she did not want Peluso knowing. Not yet. No one else needed to be concerned. It was only an accident that Jim found out. Apart from Casey, she did not know if she even trusted anyone enough. She did not know them that well. She did not know Casey very well either, but she knew her better than anyone else. Also, Casey had tried a case for her before. She shook her head. "No," she answered. "What's up?"

"It's just this new case I got earlier this morning," Casey explained. "A man's abusing his fiancée, but I don't think she realizes exactly how dangerous he is." She subconsciously added emphasis to the latter half of the sentence. She then realized it and quickly made up for it. "I just don't know what I can legally tell her."

Alex nodded slowly. "Ok," she said. She then turned to Peluso. "Um, Brian, can you excuse us for a moment?" she asked in the same calm and collected voice she had earlier.

Peluso nodded. "Not a problem," he said. "I think I better check on Potter again. He's getting too carried away on this petty larceny case." He then stood up and offered his seat to Casey. After that, he left. He closed the door behind him.

"Alex," Casey began seriously.

"Casey, I appreciate how discreet you are about all of this," Alex interrupted.

Casey stopped her from being able to say anything further. "Alex, I'm serious," she said firmly. "This guy Robert is dangerous. He committed most of his dangerous crimes while you were in Witness Protection. He is not going to stop until you're dead."

Alex shook her head again. "Impossible," she declared. "He doesn't have a record." She tried to show Casey to the door, but the younger ADA was not going anywhere. "Look, Casey, I do appreciate your hard work on this, but I think he just overreacted. After all, this morning I did think I was pregnant with Jim Steele's baby."

"Please, Alex, listen to yourself," Casey begged. "You sound just like all those other women. You were a Special Victims ADA. I know you know the type." She sighed heavily. "Just promise me you'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight. Either Olivia's, or a hotel, or whatever. Just not with him."

Alex shook her head. "If I do that, he'll think I'm avoiding him." She glanced at the clock. "I have to be in court," she lied as she started gathering some of her things together.

"I just don't want this turning into a homicide," Casey said seriously. She grabbed a piece of paper from Alex's desk as well as a pen. She scribbled two phone numbers on it and handed it to Alex. "The top one's my cell phone, and the bottom one is Munch's. Promise that you'll call if you need anything."

Alex took the piece of paper and placed it into her pocket. She turned back to Casey. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Casey did not say anything as Alex left. She knew denial was typical. After everything that Alex had been through before, she understood the other woman's desire for a normal life. But these were not normal circumstances. For now, Alex was allowed her denial. But Casey had to talk to her again before she went home.

* * *

Alex walked outside to her car. The New York air and sun felt nice on her skin. She walked around to the back of the District Attorney's office. She knew Casey was right. There was something off about Robert. It did not seem so at first, but it was becoming more obvious in the past month.

In the beginning of their relationship, he was excited. He would rush to come home early just so he could have a nice meal cooking for her by the time she got home. He would listen to her stories about what she did all day. He was not just pretending to be interested. In the beginning, he really cared. He would massage her shoulders. She loved it. If she fell asleep while they were watching television or something, he would not wake her. He would place a blanket over her and stay with her until she awoke again.

The morning he proposed to her was something she could never forget. She was already feeling crappy about that thing with Jim the previous evening. He looked at her and noticed that she did not wake up right away. Their alarm clock had been going off for about twenty minutes. He nudged her gently until she awoke. He placed a gentle hand on her forehead and asked her if she felt sick. Although it was not due to anything physical, she said yes. He kissed her and told her to stay there. About ten minutes later he came back with a tray with toast, apple juice, and medicine. She told him that he did not need to do this, but he insisted.

He had leaned into her. He said that he loved her. He'd do anything for her. Right now, that meant making her breakfast since she felt poorly. Hopefully later, it would mean doing a lot more. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Then he asked her to marry him. She said yes.

Alex shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. She still could not believe this was happening. Since their engagement, Robert was different. He was no longer rushing to get home from work. He would work late even if they had plans. It was as if he did not care that she was there. She should have known there was something not right about him.

A man got out of a car in the visitors' parking lot. He started walking towards her. Odd, Alex thought, considering that the entrance was on the other side of the building. Only the janitorial staff used this entrance. This man was clearly not a janitor. He was dressed in a large fancy suit. She groaned. Robert. Of course. She swallowed. Not just any Robert. Angry Robert. The Robert she hated.

As soon as he was close to her, he threw the pregnancy test by her feet. "What is that, Alexandra?" he yelled. "I can't tell if the damn thing's positive or negative! Do you want to explain yourself?"

Alex drew in a deep breath. Ok, how should she put this? She knew what kind of a temper he had. She knew he was angry right now. She also knew that she had to say something, and it had to be at least partially true. "Well," she started.

"'Well'?" Robert repeated her word. "You're giving me 'well'?" He looked over at her. Obviously, she still looked thin and normal. She would not be showing. If she was, then she would definitely know that she was pregnant. "Shit, Alexandra, say something! You know I don't have time for this!"

"Then why are you here?" she asked him.

Robert looked at her. "What did you say?"

"Why are you here?" Alex repeated. "If you don't have time for this, then go. We'll talk about this when you get home."

He shook his head at her. He pulled his fist back and punched her cheek hard before she could react. She hit her head against the building. She was not sure, but she thought she lost consciousness for a second or two.

"You disgust me," he spat. "Now you'll disgust the son of a bitch you slept with." He turned around and started walking back to his car.

Alex wanted to break down right there in tears. However, she forced herself to at least appear calm. She did not know who else could see her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with Casey's number. She then pulled out her own cell phone and dialed it. Casey answered after the first ring.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

Casey knew it was bad news. She should not have let Alex out of her sight. She hated this. She rushed out of her office down towards the elevators. It only took her two minutes to get down to where Alex was. She dropped to the grass. She did not mind the grass stains. All that mattered was Alex's safety. "What happened?" she asked as she placed a comforting hand to Alex's back.

"Robert," Alex whispered as she propped her left arm against her left leg and rested her head inside her left hand. "He was here. He was yelling." Her voice grew softer. "I don't remember why."

Casey nodded sympathetically. She stood up and offered Alex her hand. "Come on," she said in the same soothing tone. "Let's get you to a hospital."

Alex allowed Casey to pull her up. She did not try to fight it.

* * *

Once at the hospital, Alex was seen almost right away. There were only triage patients. Since she said there was a possibility that she was unconscious for a second or two, the doctors wanted a CT scan to be safe. They would also be photographing her injuries for the abuse case against Robert.As the doctors treated Alex, Casey ducked into the main lobby (the only portion of the hospital where cell phones were allowed) to call Munch. Luckily, the rest of the city was relatively calm in the means of rape and abuse. Munch answered after two rings. "Hey, John," Casey greeted him. It was not an excited hello. 

"What's up?" Munch asked her. "Need us to bug the hell out of a suspect 'cause Fin and I are more than willing…" At Casey's silence, he knew it was serious. "Is it Alex?" he asked.

"Yeah," Casey responded softly. "We're at Mercy. I think they're going to admit her for a couple hours, maybe overnight." She sighed heavily. "At least that way she'll be safe." She scratched her head again as she glanced around at the hospital. "I just don't get it," she said. "I'm sure there are other rich single women in New York City? Robert knows that Alex works for the city. She has an easy access to all of the stuff he does, plus the resources to prosecute him. Why did he pick her?"

"Money," Munch answered simply. "You said it was his obsession. I don't know how much more obsession a person can find." He smiled. "Oh, you heard right, Counselor. I did my homework."

Casey nodded. She searched around her, but found that she did not have a piece of paper or a pen. "You have this all written down?" she asked him.

Munch nodded. "Of course," he told her.

"Then talk to me," Casey said.

"The name Cabot means big money, especially in New York," Munch started. "It always has. There's the whole historical aspect to it, but that's not the part that relates to Alex. In short, Alex's grandfather, Richard started a company in the fifties to sixties that would sell parts to other big companies, such as NASA or something. Richard had one son, Richard Jr. When Richard Sr. died, all the companies' profits and ownership went to Richard Jr. Richard Jr. is Alex's father, and he inherited the company when Alex was about three. Although he had his initial doubts, he decided to keep it.

"Now the Cabots are worth an estimated twenty-four point eight million dollars," Munch finished. "With the death of Alex's mother, Alex is the sole beneficiary of their estate."

Casey nearly fell backwards from receiving that news. "Did I hear you correctly?" she asked. "We're talking about the same Alex Cabot, right?"

Munch nodded. "That we are, Counselor," he said.

"Wow," Casey finally said after a moment of silence on the line. "I mean, I knew there was a class difference, but wow. I never thought…"

"Oh, there's more," Munch interrupted. "As stipulated in her grandfather's will, Alex has been receiving about one hundred thousand dollars a year from that estate on her birthday starting when she turned twenty-one. She did not get anything while she was in Witness Protection since everyone thought she was dead. However, once she came out, all the money she would have owned if she never entered was awarded to her."

"You're joking, right?" Casey asked.

"Nope," Munch stated. "As of today, your boss is worth one million, one hundred seventy-six thousand, nine hundred eighty-six dollars and thirty cents in family inheritance alone."

"Holy shit," Casey muttered as an immediate response. "Why does she bother working for the city?" she wondered aloud.

Munch shrugged. "None of our business," he stated. "Our only business in this matter is keeping her safe."

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I love it. :-) And no, I don't actually know how much the Cabot family is worth. I'm making it all up. But I did do the math twice. She would be worth that much. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

After her phone call with Munch, Casey returned to the emergency room. Alex was no longer there. Dr. Peterson, the attending in the emergency room, told her that they had just admitted Alex upstairs. She would be staying there overnight. Although Casey personally hated hospitals and she was almost certain that Alex felt the same, she could not help but feel relieved. At least this way she knew Alex would be safe for the night. There was no way the hospital would let Robert in to see her.

One of the nurses guided her towards the elevators. She could not follow Casey up, but she gave her directions on where Alex's room was from the elevator. Casey thanked her and followed them. A chill ran through her body. This same hallway. After she was attacked, her hospital room was in this hallway. Now Alex was here. She did not have fond memories of this hallway.

She walked over towards Alex's room. The door was open, but the curtain was pulled so that no one could see who the patient was. Casey double checked the room number. After she was certain she was in Alex's room, she stepped inside. "Alex," she whispered. She did not want to wake the other woman.

There was no answer. Casey heard the sound of breathing though, so she knew Alex was in there. She probably was asleep. Casey walked inside towards the chair. She did not want Alex to have to wake up alone. Someone had to stay with her.

"Casey," Alex whispered as she rolled over in the bed towards Casey.

"Oh, hey," Casey said as she scooted herself in the chair to be a little closer towards Alex. "I didn't realize you were awake. If you want me to go…"

"It's ok," Alex said. "I'd feel safer with someone else in the room." She hoped she did not sound too needy. She did not want that to happen. She hated the fact that she was reduced to this.

"Of course," Casey said. "That's completely understandable."

"Please, Casey, don't," Alex said. "Don't patronize me. Don't treat me like all those other abuse victims," she whispered. "I know I am one, but I don't need the reminder." She paused for a second. "And I'm sorry if that sounded bitchy."

"It's ok," Casey said understandingly. "I know how hard it is to admit that you're a victim." Alex looked over at her curiously, and Casey nodded slightly. Neither one of them said anything more. They did not need to. About five minutes later, Alex switched the television on. She was not looking for anything in particular. They eventually found some reruns of _Dharma and Greg_ on FX.

After the first episode they found ended, the doctor treating Alex walked into the room. "Miss Cabot, are you up?" he asked.

"Yes," Alex answered softly as she moved the curtain back slightly.

Casey excused herself as the doctor walked inside. She was almost at the door before she turned back to Alex. "Are you ready to give your statement yet?" she asked.

Alex nodded slightly. Casey turned back around. "Casey," Alex called before the ADA left the room. Casey turned her head towards Alex. "Can you get Elliot or Olivia to take it?" she asked. Casey nodded as she left the room and headed back down for the lobby.

"What's the damage?" Alex asked fearfully after the door was closed. She knew that she was staying overnight. She remembered what had happened that morning at the apartment, but she did not know what would be happening now.

The doctor sat down in the chair where Casey had been sitting. "You have a mild concussion to the back of your head from where you hit the building," he said. "As you can see, we have an IV going. If it's not working well, don't hesitate to get a nurse." Alex nodded slightly. She knew there was more, so she did not bother saying anything. "Your cheek might look and feel broken for the next couple days, but I assure you that it's not. Down in the ER, we treated the burn wounds on your face. They should heal within the next week or two. If not, contact your primary care physician."

Alex nodded again as she absorbed the information. She knew it was told to her down in the emergency room, but she did not remember much of what had happened there. The one question that she feared the most had not yet been answered. She swallowed hard. "One more thing," she started.

"Anything, Miss Cabot," the doctor told her.

"The pregnancy test," Alex started. "What were the results? Am I pregnant?"

The doctor took a deep breath in as he stood up. From Alex's condition, he knew she was not hoping for the answer to be yes. He knew he should not sugarcoat it. "It was positive, Miss Cabot. You are pregnant."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The initial shock had not yet worn off. Deep down, Alex knew she was pregnant. She knew from the day she bought the pregnancy test. The clerk selling it to her had a small smile on his face as he rang up her purchases. She did not reciprocate that smile.

She was going to be a mother. In about eight and a half months, she would be back in a hospital. Labor would of course be a bitch, but afterwards she would have a child. Then it would be just the two of them. Only her and the baby for the rest of her life. There was no way she wanted to stay with Robert. Even if she lost her mind and did, he would not want to stay with her. She highly doubted Jim would do anything. Their past relationship was not a relationship. They were just sleeping together. It was stupid.

It had formed a baby. Liked it or not, Alex was carrying Jim's child. He had the right to know. He would know very shortly.

Casey had called him about ten minutes ago. She was pretty secretive about why he had to come, but he did agree to get down to the hospital as soon as he could. Alex just had to think about the best way to tell him that they were having a child together. They were having that child whether Jim liked it or not. She could not live with herself if she agreed to an abortion.

The phone in Alex's room rang. Its ring was loud, and it caused Alex to jump. Casey picked it up. "Alex Cabot's room," she said into the receiver. "Can you check his ID?" she asked. She then smiled. "Yeah, he's ok. Send him up." She then hung up the phone and turned to Alex. "Jim's here," she told her. "I can leave if you want."

Alex nodded slightly. "Please," she said softly. "It's not that I don't trust you, or that I don't appreciate everything that you're doing for me…"

"Relax," Casey said. "I get it." She heard the door opening and once Jim was in the room, she left.

Jim was out of breath. He must have rushed through the hospital to get to Alex's room. He took one look at the large and dark bruise right below her left eye from where Robert had punched her. "That son of a bitch," he muttered as he sat down next to Alex.

"Jim," Alex began in a very serious tone. Jim had heard her when she was serious before. It was never like this.

"Don't tell me you're going back to him," Jim told her. "He's not right for you. He only cares about your money."

"Jim," Alex said again. Her tone did not change. She pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed and turned to face him. "Remember what happened between us last month?"

Jim blushed. "Alex, I'm not sleeping with you," he said firmly. "I mean, I'm flattered. Under any other circumstances, I'd love to, but I can't now. I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you." He rubbed his fingers down her arm. "You're vulnerable now."

Alex shook her head. "No, I don't want it to happen again," she said seriously. "It's just that there's more to it than that." She shook her head slightly. How should she frame this? She knew she just had to come right out and say it. "Jim, I'm pregnant," she whispered. "And there is no way that the baby is Robert's." She took in another breath. "It's ours."

Jim's mouth dropped open. This was certainly not what he had expected when Casey told him that Alex needed to talk to him. He wanted to ask her a million questions. Was she sure it was theirs? How could she have let this happen? What were they going to do? How was she going to keep it safe from Robert?

He did not ask her anything. Now was not the time. He sat down on the bed and pulled her into a hug. He rubbed her back soothingly like he had that morning. "It's ok," he whispered. "We're going to figure this all out. You're going to be fine. It's ok."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. I've had it ready for a couple days, but my Internet was dead. Anyway, they did mention Robert's surname last week, so I've changed it in previous chapters and for future chapters.

* * *

Chapter Seven 

Jim had soothed Alex until she fell asleep that night. Once she was asleep, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He stayed in the room with her until Casey returned. In her hands, she held a couple of different options for food that included pasta and sandwiches. "I didn't know if she'd be hungry," Casey said as she placed the food down on the table next to Alex's bed. "Nor did I know what she wanted, so I got everything that looked edible," she added as she sat down in the chair next to Jim's.

"Thank you," Jim said softly. His gaze was still focused on Alex. He could not believe this was happening to her. It pained him to see her like this. It was not supposed to be like this. He always hated Robert, but this made it worse. He could never understand what would drive a man to hit a woman. With his eyes still on Alex, he asked, "Did they arrest him yet?"

Casey nodded. "Olivia and Elliot caught up with him about an hour ago. He's in the squad room, probably denying everything." She stood up. "I probably should get down there."

"I'll go," Jim offered. "I think Alex is more comfortable with you anyway." His voice hinted at sadness, but he did not say anything further. This was not about him trying to win Alex. He would not allow it. He loved her too much to try to take advantage of her.

"Ok," Casey whispered. As she heard Jim approach the door, she turned to him. "I'll take care of her," she promised. "She's going to be ok now."

* * *

By eight o'clock the following morning, Alex was both awake and ready to be released in her mind. Although she hated the thought of going back into the real world where Robert could find her, she hated the idea of hiding in a hospital more. All she wanted to do was get out of there and go somewhere else. She did not know exactly where. She obviously could not get an apartment that quickly, but she could get a hotel room.

Casey had stayed with Alex through the night. She stepped out of the bathroom after taking a quick shower. She was dressed in the same clothes that she had worn the previous night. Her hair was still slightly damp, but she could not control that. She had to make sure Alex would be ok and then prepare for arraignment. Although arraignment was scheduled for nine, Casey would not leave the hospital until someone was with Alex. She knew not to leave Alex completely alone for a second.

The phone rang again. Alex was still surprised by the sound, but it was not as obvious. She was able to answer it calmly. "Ok," she said finally into it. She placed it back on the receiver and turned to Casey. "Front desk," she said. "Olivia's on her way up, so you can leave. I know you have to be in court."

"You're sure?" Casey asked fearfully. She could not live with herself if something else happened to Alex. She had promised Jim that she would keep Alex safe.

Alex nodded. "Casey, I was fine while you took a shower. I appreciate your concern, but I don't need a guardian angel watching over me every second of my life. I'm a big girl."

"Ok," Casey reluctantly agreed. She glanced out the window to make sure there was a nurse at the front desk. There was. "Take care," she added as she headed out of the room. Once she approached the elevators, she ran into Olivia. "The doctors should be by to release her within the next half hour," Casey informed the detective. "When they do, please don't let her out of your sight. I know she's stubborn, but I'm really worried about her."

Olivia nodded. "I am, too," she said. "I'm on this case. I cleared it with Cragen, and he's letting me work this one."

Casey smiled. "It's nice to have you back." She gave Olivia a slight push down the hallway towards Alex's room. "Go to her," she said. With that, Casey went into the elevator while Olivia headed down towards Alex's room.

Olivia was outside the room about a minute later. She saw the team of doctors making their rounds. She and Alex would not be there much longer. She gave a short knock on the door before she entered. She caught sight of the bruise under Alex's eye, and she automatically winced in reaction. "Oh, Alex," she said sympathetically as she walked over to the bed.

Alex nodded slightly. "Hey, Liv," she whispered. "I'm sorry you had to come down here."

"Oh, sweetie, don't think that," Olivia said soothingly as she sat down at the edge of Alex's bed. "This is a really bad situation. I would be mad at myself if I wasn't helping." She placed a calming hand on Alex's arm. "I'm out of Computer Crimes. Elliot and I are the lead detectives on this case. We're going to get him, and not just for you. For all the women he's done this to."

Alex nodded again. She tried to sit up, but moving made her a little nauseous. Now that she knew she was pregnant, she noticed the symptoms more often. It was not pleasant. She wanted to say something. The uncomfortable silence was eerie and annoying. She had to break it, but she did not know what to say. Certainly she could not just act like it was a normal day. Both she and Olivia knew it was not.

"We'll get him, Alex," Olivia assured her friend. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Clouds loomed over the courthouse as Casey finally arrived. She had seven minutes left to spare. She knew she would make it to court in time. She had to. That was not the part that was concerning her. The matter of bail was. Robert would be able to post any amount of bail necessary. She would try to argue remand, but she could not be certain Petrovsky would go for it. She could only hope.

Her heels clicked against the hard floor in the courthouse as she made her way towards the courtroom. She groaned as she caught sight of Robert in the hallway outside of it. She could not trust him. She then noticed the defense counsel. Trevor Langdon. Of course. She had known him since she did white collar. He was the defense on her first solo case. He utterly humiliated her then, and given her track record with cases against Robert Shelton, Casey was certain Langdon would humiliate her again. She tried not to let him get to her. She did not acknowledge their presence as she entered the courtroom.

She heard them follow in behind her. Langdon was speaking softly, most likely to Robert, but Casey could not be certain. She sat down and prepared exactly what she would be saying. She had to keep her composure.

"Docket number 2874994. _People v. Robert Shelton_, two counts of assault in the first degree," the bailiff called out. Casey rose and walked up towards the front of the courtroom. Langdon and Robert followed her. Casey exhaled deeply. She knew the indictments were not the strongest ones they had against him. However, she could not risk securing all of them until she knew he would not be going anywhere. It was a difficult decision, but both she and Alex eventually agreed it was the best choice.

"How do you plead, Mr. Shelton?" Petrovsky asked in a monotone voice. It was too early for this.

Robert looked at her as if he could not believe Petrovsky even had to ask. "Not guilty, your Honor."

_Of course,_ Petrovsky thought. However, she kept her mouth shut on the issue. This was only an arraignment, not trial. "People on bail?"

Casey nodded as she opened the folder. "Your Honor, Mr. Shelton is rich enough to meet any bail set forth. He is a dangerous man, and we consider him a threat. We respectfully request remand."

"And I must object," Langdon argued back. "Your Honor, these accusations are ridiculous. This is nothing more than an angry Bureau Chief's way of manipulating the court system due to a lover's spat."

Casey shook her head angrily. "Your Honor, may I remind you that Ms. Cabot was admitted to the hospital last night as a result of this so-called 'lover's spat'? Mr. Shelton is a serious threat to her, especially now that he knows she's pregnant. We request remand."

"Boy, she really has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?" Langdon asked as he looked directly at Casey. He then turned to Petrovsky. "Your Honor, I think Ms. Novak is forgetting that bail must fit the crime. She can't just throw large amounts of money around to keep my client locked up."

Petrovsky shook her head. "Save it, Counselor," she said coldly. "Alex Cabot is well respected around here."

"Your Honor--" Langdon interrupted.

"Bail is set at ten million dollars," Petrovsky continued. "Upon making bail, the defendant will be prohibited to enter the D.A.'s office, the courthouse, or any police station without his attorney present." She exhaled deeply. She hated the last part she was about to say, but there was nothing she could do about it. The law was the law. "However, since their house is in his name, he can remain there."

Casey nodded slowly. "Your Honor, the People request a protective order for Ms. Cabot to keep Mr. Shelton from contacting her."

Petrovsky nodded. "So ordered." She then hit the gavel against the desk.

Once she was released from the hospital, Alex knew she had to act quickly. She had already gotten the phone call from Casey saying that Robert was not remanded. She knew it would only be a matter of hours, if that, until he made bail. Before he did, she would have to get some of her things from their former house. Her clothes, her bank statements, and some photo albums especially. Everything else could be replaced.

After much discussion, Casey and Olivia both decided it would be better for Alex to stay with Casey. Olivia would essentially be staying there as well, but Casey's apartment was harder to find. And it was less likely that Robert would want to show up there. Alex sighed as Olivia pulled the police car up in front of her former house. No other cars were there. Robert had not yet made bail. That at least was a relief. She headed inside. She grabbed a suitcase and started throwing random clothes into it. She did not know if any of it would actually make a decent outfit, but she could make it work. She then grabbed the drawer in which all of her bank statements were kept. She frowned as she noted that Robert had been using them. They had been folded too many times for only her to have seen it.

The last thing she had to do was the hardest thing. She looked down at the engagement ring on her left finger. It was large. There was a diamond in the center, and the band was pure gold. It was sized perfectly to fit her. She loved it. It had taken her breath away when she first saw it. She wanted that feeling to last, but she could no longer feel it towards Robert. As the tears dwelled in her eyes, she slid the ring off her finger and placed it down on the nightstand next to his side of the bed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Casey quickly parked her car in the garage underneath her apartment building. Her place was small, but at least it would be safe. She unlocked the doors and got out of the car. She had their take-out Chinese food in her hands while Alex was carrying what she had retrieved from her former house. "You ok?" Casey asked in a genuine tone. "If there's anything I can do for you…" she started.

Alex nodded. "I know, Case," she said softly. "And I appreciate that, but don't put yourself out. This is only temporary. And I will repay you for everything."

Casey shook her head. "Don't even think about it," she argued back. "It's not necessary. You have much more important things to worry about." After giving up on the elevator, she started heading for the stairs. The two of them walked up in silence. Casey was not entirely sure what, if anything, she should say to Alex. The two of them did not know each other that well. Alex was only staying with Casey as opposed to Olivia because Robert knew where Olivia lived.

Once she reached her floor, Casey started fishing for her keys. She opened her apartment and allowed Alex to enter first. "Guest bedroom's the one on the left," she guided Alex as she walked over to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. By preparing, she meant putting the take-out on a plate. "Sheets are in the closet near the bathroom if you need them," she added as she grabbed two plates down from the cupboard above the stove.

Alex smiled at her host as she placed her suitcase inside the bedroom. She would get the sheets on the bed later. Right now she was hungry. For both her sake and the baby's, she had to eat.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Casey offered as she moved over towards the fridge. "I've got some water, pink lemonade, milk…" She scanned the fridge for more non-alcoholic beverages, but she could not find anything else that would still be good. She had some orange juice, but it was questionable.

"Water's fine," Alex said as she joined Casey in the kitchen. She took the glass from the counter and proceeded to pour herself some water. She did not need Casey waiting on her like she was a princess or anything.

"Shit," Casey exclaimed as she took a closer look at the contents of the counter. "I left the dumplings in the car." She turned to Alex. "Will you be ok by yourself? I'll only be a minute or two."

Alex nodded slowly. "Casey, relax," she said. "I'll be fine. Robert doesn't know where you live. There is no way he could be here." She placed her glass down on the table. "And if it will make you feel better, you can lock the door behind you."

Casey nodded back at Alex. "Right," she said. "I'm sorry if this is making you uncomfortable," she added as she reached for her keys again.

Alex shrugged. "It's not your fault. You're doing the best you can," she said. "Now hurry back with those dumplings," she added in a mock scolding tone. "Between me and the baby, I think I could eat the whole box. And if I get hungry enough, I'll eat the box."

That final comment earned a small chuckle from Casey as she opened the door. "I'll be right back," she promised. She closed and locked the door behind her. She walked over to the elevators and went down to the garage. Once she got down there, she thought she heard something. She could not be sure. She shrugged it off. Like Alex said, Robert did not know where she lived. How could he? She calmly (but quickly) walked towards her car to retrieve the forgotten Chinese food.

Whoever else was in the garage had followed her. She was certain of it. She slowly turned around, but she found no one. "I'm not paranoid," she whispered to herself as she locked the car doors behind her.

"Of course you're not," the male voice said. It was familiar and close. Casey gasped as she felt two arms wrapping around her waist. The mystery person held a tight grip on her. He reached into her pocket and retrieved her keys. He dangled them in front of her face before dropping her to the ground. As he started running towards the elevator, Casey finally could identify him as Robert. At least, she thought it was him. It certainly looked like the back of his head.

She did not have time to think about that. She pushed herself upright and started following him. He missed the elevator, so he was running for the stairs. She had to beat him to it. He scowled as she approached. He noticed this and slowed down slightly. As soon as she started to go in the stairway, he slammed the door on her fingers. Casey let out one yelp of pain and pulled her hand back towards her body. She massaged it for a second before rushing towards the elevator. There was no way she would make it to her floor by stairs before he would.

* * *

Robert looked at the keys in his hands. He could recognize which one was the car key, but the difference between Casey's office key and her apartment key was a mystery to him. He looked at them more closely before deciding which one was it. He rushed towards the apartment. Luckily the little lawyer bitch was not there yet. He laughed slightly as he stuck the key into the door.

"That was fast," he heard Alex call from the other side of the door. He instantly frowned as he realized that the key in his hand would not actually open Casey's apartment. He cursed underneath his breath as he quickly switched keys.

"Case?" Alex called. He heard her light footsteps coming closer towards the front door. Without a doubt, she would be looking through that peephole. He had to act quickly. He gave a triumphant expression as he opened the door. He then pushed his way into the apartment. The force behind his action caused Alex to fall over and hit her head on the floor. It hurt, but she was still conscious. "How the hell did you find me?" she asked angrily.

Robert did not answer her. "What's it to you, whore?" he repeated. His statement had just as much anger as hers. "I know about the baby."

"No shit," Alex said back as she tried to move around him. "Casey mentioned it in open court. I suggest you get over yourself and get the hell out of this apartment before I call the police." She did not know what else to do or say. She was regretting having Casey go down to get the Chinese food. It was only a couple of dumplings. She dashed out the door. She did not know where the elevators were, but she knew where the stairs were. She tried to make it so that Robert could not follow her, but he did.

"You're dead, Alexandra!" Robert yelled down the hallway. He followed her towards the stairs. He heard her trying to run down them. Luckily for him, his legs were longer. He quickly caught up with her. He pushed her with just enough force to cause her to fall. Her head hit the stairs a couple times on the way down. There was no way she would remain conscious. He rushed down and passed her body. He had to get out of there before one of Casey's neighbors heard the commotion.

* * *

Casey dashed out of the elevators. She wanted to kill her elderly neighbor. She was aware of how rude and awful that sounded, but that woman moved so slowly. If it were not for her, Casey would already be in her apartment. She ran down the hallway, but her stomach lurched as she neared her apartment. The door was wide open. Alex was no where in sight.

"Alex!" she called loudly. "Alex Cabot!"

One of her neighbors, a young boy, stepped out of his apartment. "Ms. Novak, I heard fighting," he whispered in a scared voice. Casey had forgotten his name, but she had watched him once when his mother had to pick up his father from Brooklyn. Obviously, he knew her. He remembered that she did some sort of work for the police. But what was his name?

"Where did you hear fighting?" Casey asked as she knelt down next to him.

"Down by the stairs," the little boy spoke. He pointed down the hallway. "It was a man. Big, like my Daddy. Only my Daddy isn't scary like this man."

Casey thanked him. The boy's mother stepped out into the hallway as well. "Casey, what is going on?" she asked.

"Call 911," Casey instructed as she head for the stairs. She opened the door and glanced up. Nothing. She gasped in horror as she looked down. "Alex!" she exclaimed as she rushed down the stairs towards her boss. Alex luckily had a pulse, but she was not regaining consciousness. "Just hang in there," she said. She heard her neighbor's footsteps following. Someone was calling for help.

"It's ok now, Alex," Casey said. Her only comfort in all of this was that there was no way any judge would release Robert now.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Casey had once again taken Alex to the hospital. She did not know what to say when she did. Alex had just been released that morning, yet she was already back there. As soon as Alex was in the care of the ER doctors, she pulled out her cell phone. She dialed the number that would connect her directly to Cragen. "It's Casey," she said quickly. "I need you to arrest Robert Shelton."

"Casey, I know we all want this guy's balls in the blender, but you know very well that we can't just…" Cragen started.

"He tried to kill her," Casey interrupted. She looked glanced back into the emergency room to try to get a glimpse of Alex. She could not find her. She did not know if that was a good thing. Sure, it probably meant that she was getting immediate treatment. However, patients do not require immediate treatment unless something bad had happened to them.

Cragen moved his desk chair closer to his desk and adjusted himself so that he was sitting straight in it. "What?" he asked in shock. "How? When?"

"About a half hour ago," Casey admitted. A small wave of fear came over her as she relived it. "He knows where I live," she stated. She exhaled deeply. "Get Munch and Fin to arrest him and send Olivia and Elliot here. They need to know about this."

Cragen nodded as he promised Casey he would. After learning which hospital Alex was at, he hung up. It was late, but all of his detectives were still in the squad room. He stepped outside with a solemn expression. "Olivia and Elliot," he started. "I need you two at Mercy now."

"Who?" Olivia asked. She knew that Cragen was serious. She did not dare to ask why she was needed. The look on his face told her that it could not be anything good. It wasn't…It couldn't be…"No," she whispered. She glanced up at Cragen.

Cragen gave a nod of confirmation. He then turned towards Munch. "I need you and Fin to track down Robert Shelton. Arrest him for attempted murder of Alexandra Cabot," he said seriously. He did not doubt the charge. He trusted Casey's judgment, and it was not something he would put past Robert Shelton.

* * *

As soon as Elliot put the police car into park, Olivia rushed out of there. She had to get inside. She flashed her badge to the nurse at the triage desk. The nurse quickly opened the doors to the emergency room and allowed Olivia to enter. Elliot was right behind her. "Casey," Elliot began once he spotted the younger ADA.

Casey was standing outside one of the examination rooms. Luckily, the emergency room was not terribly crowded. The only patient allowed in the room was Alex. With the exception of Alex, her doctors, Casey, and any detectives, no one else was allowed in that room. Mercy was taking good care of Alex. "I don't know," she admitted. "Her doctors won't tell me anything."

"Don't blame yourself, Casey," Olivia said as she moved closer to the other woman. Casey subconsciously took a step away from Olivia. "This wasn't your fault."

Casey shook her head. "Sure, it was," she said softly. "I left her alone in my apartment." She let out a deep breath. This could not all be happening, but she knew it was. She had to come to terms with it and accept it. "I forgot the dumplings in the car, so I left her in my apartment."

"Your locked apartment," Olivia rebutted. "Robert is the poorest excuse of a man," she stated. "Creepy as hell, and you cannot be held responsible for his actions. You had no way of knowing he would find out where you live."

"It's part of his pattern," Casey argued. "He will end up killing the women he dates. Now that one of them pressed charges against him, he would want to get rid of her quicker." She leaned back against the wall opposite the exam room. "We're getting her a place in Jersey where she can stay until trial. Apartment building with the tightest security in the area." She glanced over at Olivia and Elliot. "Even so, can one of you arrange to stay with her? At least at night."

Olivia nodded. "Of course," she said soothingly. She walked towards the door. "Is she in there?" she asked.

Casey nodded. "She's still unconscious," she stated. "The doctors are just looking at her head and chest CTs to figure out where to admit her."

Elliot nodded slowly. Anger was boiling over inside of him, but he knew better than to act on it right now. He knew anyone else in the squad room would have done the same thing, but he could not just go after Robert Shelton that easily. He had to control himself. He finally looked back at Casey. "Are you ok?" he asked her gently. He glanced down at her left hand. Her fingers looked…swollen some how. In his haste to find out about Alex, he had not noticed it. Now he could not get his eyes off it. "Casey?" he asked again. He simply gestured down.

Casey shrugged. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore," she whispered. With the adrenaline in her body from finding Alex on the stairs, she had forgotten about it. Once Alex was in the hospital, she had ignored it since she felt Alex was more important. However, now that she had been sitting there for almost an hour, the pain was coming back. She was more aware of it. She still did not want to say anything about it. Alex was more important. She kept her eyes focused on the door to Alex's room. She needed someone to come out of it and give her an update.

Elliot reached out and turned her head towards him. "Casey, there's nothing more you can do for Alex." He gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Come on," he said gently. "Let's get you taken care of now." He glanced back at Olivia. "Can you watch over Alex?"

Olivia nodded. "Of course," she said.

"Elliot," Casey tried to protest.

Elliot would hear nothing of it. "Case, it looks broken. Don't lie to me. I know it feels broken, too." He looked over at Casey, and she gave him a slight nod. "It's ok," Elliot said. "Olivia's watching Alex. We'll have you taken care of in no time."

* * *

It took until a little past midnight until Alex was finally admitted upstairs. It felt like forever, but Casey knew that if Alex was treated and admitted in about four hours, then it had to be serious. Alex was still unconscious. Olivia was staying in the hospital room with her while Elliot talked to the doctor. Before he could say anything, he heard someone walking down the hallway in their direction. With one turn of the head, he knew it was Casey.

"How are you?" he asked in a concerned voice as the ADA joined them.

"I'm ok," she said. "Pain's gone down."

"Anything broken?" Elliot asked.

Casey simply held up her ring and middle fingers in response. Elliot gave her a sympathetic glance. Casey nodded at him before turning her attention to the doctor. "What about Alex?" she asked. "How is she?" Casey feared for the answer. She knew better than to keep blaming herself, but she could not help it.

"Well, she's still unconscious," her doctor said. "She has a severe concussion, so I won't expect her to awake any time soon. There's also some bruising and a couple of broken ribs, so go easy on her. When she does wake up, try to discourage her from moving around as much as possible." He sighed as he looked at his chart. "And the last thing I'd like to discuss with Miss Cabot first," he said.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The first thing Alex was aware of when she woke up was the pain. It seemed to be coming from every part of her body, and she could not distinguish where it hurt the most. She blinked twice and moved her hands up to rub her eyes. After she did that, she decided that the worst pain was coming from her chest and lower abdomen. She blinked again and started to extend her arms out in front of her in a stretching motion. Even that caused pain.

"Hey," Olivia said soothingly. At least, it sounded like Olivia. The voice was kind of quiet, and Alex could not see anyone's face. "Don't move," the woman said as she moved closer to Alex. It was definitely Olivia. Olivia moved even closer to the bed so that Alex could see a glimpse of her face without having to move. She sat down at the chair right next to the bed and took Alex's hand.

Alex turned her head slightly. Wait a minute. This room was familiar. The same beige colored walls, the tacky fish-patterned curtains. She had been here before. "Liv, what's going on?" she asked. "What am I doing here?"

Olivia knew better than to ask Alex if she remembered anything. Obviously, she did not otherwise she would not be asking. Asking Alex if she remembered anything could only upset her more. She had been through enough already. Olivia had to just tell her. "Sweetie, you were at Casey's," she started. "Somehow Robert got to you. You're in the hospital now."

Before Alex could ask what was wrong with her, the door to her hospital room opened. Alex heard footsteps, and she craned her neck to see who had entered. It was a tall man dressed in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck. She was in a private recovery room, so the man had to be her doctor. "Miss Cabot," he greeted her.

His face was expressionless. Alex did not like how this was starting. Olivia started to excuse herself, but Alex did not think she could handle hearing whatever the doctor had to say alone. She reached out and took Olivia's hand again. She glanced at Olivia, and with that look Olivia knew she had to stay. "I'm here," she whispered.

Her doctor nodded as he focused on Alex. "Did Detective Benson tell you anything?" he asked seriously.

Alex shook her head. "Only that Robert did this to me," she whispered. "Whatever that is."

Her doctor looked a little more uncomfortable, but he had to tell her. He could not hold it back. "Apparently, he pushed you down a flight of stairs," he started. "During the fall, you hit your head several times. You have a pretty severe concussion and several broken ribs," he told her.

Alex nodded slowly. It would certainly explain the pain in her head and chest. But that was not all. Her lower abdomen was in excruciating pain, more so than when she would be having her period. She slowly lowered her hands to cover it. "What else?" she asked fearfully. There had to be more. Otherwise her doctor would be leaving. He might ask her questions, but most likely he would be starting to leave.

"Miss Cabot, I'm terribly sorry," he started. Alex did not like his tone of voice. From her pain to the expression on his face, she thought she knew what he was going to say. She hoped that she was wrong. She had to be wrong. She was not a doctor. She had not been pregnant before. Her thoughts could not have been the right ones, could they?

Alex saw the look on Olivia's face. Olivia held Alex's hand tighter. Alex felt her face warming, and she felt her stomach lurching. She was about to be sick. She knew it. She was not going to like what she was about to hear.

"Miss Cabot, you were pushed down quite a distance. During that fall, you hit the stairs hard several times, ending with a hard landing at the bottom," her doctor said.

Alex could feel her eyes tearing up. Her fears were about to be confirmed. She could not know what else to think.

"Again, Miss Cabot, I'm terribly sorry, but we did two ultrasounds and there was no indication that your child is still alive."

His voice was gentle, but the news was still the same. Alex reached for the basin beside her bed, placed it in front of her, and threw up. After she had finished, she felt Olivia wiping her forehead. The basin was removed from her bed, probably by her doctor but she could not be sure. She felt Olivia crawling up onto the bed. Seconds later, Olivia's arms were gingerly wrapped around Alex's upper body. Alex leaned in closer to Olivia and sobbed into the detective's shoulder.

Olivia did not know what to tell her. She had never been pregnant before, so she could not imagine what Alex was feeling. All she could do was be there to support her friend.

* * *

Jim Steele could not believe what he was hearing. Casey had just dropped in his office to tell him that Alex was once again in the hospital. She knew mostly what had happened, but she did not know Alex's complete condition. The doctor wanted to explain it to Alex first. Regardless, Jim knew he had to see her. After finding out which room she was in, Jim prepared to leave. He glanced at the gift bag sitting on his desk. Should he bring it?

It contained a small one-piece for a baby. Printed in red on top of the white background was the slogan "I love NY", where the love was symbolized by a heart. Jim had seen over a thousand of them on almost any thing possible, from shirts to mugs to bags. However, while he was walking the previous night, he saw it. He thought it was the cutest thing ever, and he just had to buy it for both his child and for Alex. She had to know that the two of them were in this together. He shrugged as he decided to bring it.

The cab ride from the D.A.'s office to the hospital was unusually long. However, as soon as he got out, he handed the cab driver twenty dollars and did not wait for change. He had to see Alex. He hoped she had woken up, but he would understand if she was still out. From what Casey had described, she had been through a lot.

He signed the visitor's log in the main lobby. After getting directions to Alex's room, he walked up there. He was almost towards the room when he saw Elliot Stabler in his way. "Where are you going?" Elliot asked.

"To see Alex," Jim answered. He tried to move around Elliot, but Elliot followed his movements. "Do you mind?" Jim asked in annoyance.

"What's in the bag?" Elliot asked in a serious tone.

Jim opened the bag slowly to reveal the small outfit. He was surprised at how small it was, but he did not verbalize that thought. He frowned as he saw Elliot shaking his head. "What?" he asked.

"It's a nice thought," Elliot started, "but I don't think Alex can handle it." He placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. As the baby's father, Jim had a right to know. Elliot knew Alex could not handle telling him herself. He did not think Jim should have to wait for a doctor to explain it to him. This was something Elliot had to do, from one father to another. "Jim, you do know what Robert did to her, don't you?" he asked. If not, then Elliot would have to explain that as well.

Jim nodded slightly. "Kind of," he said. "Casey explained that he pushed her down the stairs, but not much more. She was kind of in a rush to see Branch."

Elliot nodded. "She hit the stairs hard, Jim," Elliot said. "And I'm sorry that I am the one to tell you this, but she lost the baby."

"Oh my god," Jim said. He could not believe he was hearing this. "How's she taking it?" he asked. He was still too much in shock to even begin to react to this. He just knew he had to see Alex, but only if she was up for seeing him. He did not want to upset her further.

Elliot shrugged. "I've been out here for a while," he admitted. "I figured it was best to give her space."

"So she's in there alone?" Jim asked, almost in horror.

Elliot shook his head. "Olivia's in there with her. She was there when Alex found out, and she hasn't left."

Jim nodded as he sat down on the floor outside of Alex's room. He did not know if he should enter at that moment, but he would not leave. If and when Alex wanted to see him, he would be there.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Casey hung up her phone before she knocked on Branch's door. This case against Robert Shelton was only getting worse and worse. It was bad enough the first time Alex was in the hospital. Add a second time and a miscarriage on top of that, and Casey honestly wanted to kill him. Inside, she was fuming, but she had to remain calm in front of Branch. She actually did have to talk to him, even before she received the news about Alex's miscarriage.

"Come in," Casey heard Branch call through the door. Casey opened the door slowly and said a quick hello to Branch. "Casey," Branch started as he stood up. He then glanced down at the two broken fingers on her left hand. It was hard to miss. "What happened to you?" he asked.

Casey exhaled. "That's what I need to talk to you about," she admitted. "As you probably know, Robert Shelton was at my apartment last night."

Branch nodded. "I know," he said. "What's happening to Alexandra is tragic."

"You don't know the half of it," Casey admitted as she sat down. "I don't know what other charges to add to his indictment," she told Branch. "We have the two assault charges from the first indictment, and we arrested him again for her attempted murder."

"And?" Branch asked.

Casey held up her left hand. "This is his work," she admitted. "But I don't think I can try him for my assault. I'd have to question myself."

"Well, either way, you'd need to step back," Branch pointed out. "Shelton's lawyers are good. You're the only person who ever actually witnessed him attacking Alexandra."

"But I didn't," Casey argued. "I mean, I know it was him. We all know that, but I wasn't there. He made sure of it. I can only get him on stealing my keys plus my assault."

Branch shook his head at her. "I'm sorry, Casey," he said. "I'm taking you off the case. If we don't have you on the witness list, the chances are higher that Shelton will get off."

Casey nodded weakly. It was what she had expected going into the meeting. "Who are you putting on?" she asked. "You can't ask Steele."

"I honestly don't know," Branch replied. "But you leave that to me. Just go back and check on Alexandra. I'm worried about her."

* * *

Jim had waited nearly five hours before he went in to see Alex. Olivia stepped out to give the two their privacy. "Al," Jim called as he ventured into her hospital room. He grabbed a box of tissues from the nightstand before he carefully sat down next to her. He tried his best not to move her as he wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm an awful person," Alex whispered as she leaned her head against Jim's chest. "That's why all of this is happening. I'm a horrible person."

"Hey," Jim stated. "None of that. You're not a bad person, Alex." He handed her a tissue to wipe her tears away.

"Let's see," Alex whispered. "In the past month, I've cheated on my fiancé, lied to him about it, almost considered the thought of getting rid of the baby…"

Jim shook his head. "I still don't see it," he said. "Alex, no matter what you did, you're still the victim. Robert cannot claim that he is. There are other ways to work out conflict in a relationship. He chose to violently attack you- three times. There is no excuse for that."

"Will the jury see it that way?" Alex asked as she dabbed at her eyes. She was surprised she still had tears left in her. She had practically been crying nonstop since she found out that she lost the baby.

"We'll make them," Jim assured her. He then pulled her slightly closer. "Alex, I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I got you into this mess, and I'm going to make sure you come out of it in a good light, ok?" He leaned forward and pressed a small kiss on her forehead. "You're not alone."


End file.
